How to Donate Clothing to Japan’s Tsunami Relief Efforts

It’s been four days since a devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami swept through northeastern Japan, and many of the country’s citizens have been left without basic necessities like clothing, food, and shelter. Enter Lady Gaga, Steven Alan and Uniqlo, who have all sprung into action by announcing special Japan fundraisers. Lady Gaga’s “We Pray for Japan” wristbands, which sell for $5 on her Web site, have already raised $250,000 to support relief efforts, while Steven Alan is donating 15% of all sales to International Medical Corps through March 17th. Uniqlo‘s parent company Fast Retailinghas promised to give 1.4 billion yen ($17.3 million) to organizations like the Japanese Red Cross. Plus, if you want to donate clothing, all Fast-Retailing-owned stores worldwide, including Uniqlo, Theory, and Comptoir des Cotonniers will soon house donation boxes where customers can drop off used garments.

Update: Uniqlo has canceled their plans to accept clothing donations, due to shipping difficulties. However, the store is accepting monetary donations via an official Red Cross box. Similar boxes will be set up in Theory on March 18th, and in Comptoir des Cotonniers the following week.